SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – A Tampa trial attorney with a seven-decade legal career has released a legal thriller about justice, corruption and a man facing death row.
Bennie Lazzara, who also writes under the pen name B.M. Reade, published “The Jury Is Back,” set on Anna Maria Island. Lazzara began his career as a prosecutor exclusively handling first-degree murder cases and later transitioned into criminal defense work.
The novel follows Sammy Carrara Jr., a former Tampa native turned charter boat captain on Anna Maria Island, who is accused of first-degree murder after being pulled back into drug smuggling. Set in late-1970s Florida during “reefer madness,” the story follows prosecutors pushing for execution in Florida’s electric chair while Sammy insists he’s being framed.
Investigation spans multiple states
A pair of Ybor City private investigators and a defense attorney race across Florida, New Orleans and Key West searching for witnesses who can prove Sammy’s alibi. The case unfolds through courtroom drama and escalating danger leading to an unpredictable verdict.
Lazzara’s legal experience spans handling first-degree murder cases as a prosecutor before building a reputation representing clients in complex and high-profile trials as a defense attorney. His work evolved into a career as a trial lawyer handling cases where outcomes meant the difference between freedom and loss.
The book is available in hardcover and paperback through major booksellers and independent bookstores.
Copyright 2026 WWSB. All rights reserved.